on some Species of British Quadrupeds, Birds, and Fishes. 883 



Kentish Plover, is the only circumstance that could stagger our 

 opinion ; and we must still conjecture that the bird figured by 

 Lewin is only an accidental variety; for it is admitted in the 

 Second Supplement to the General Synopsis (the author of which 

 sent the description to Lewin), that this part of the bird has its 

 gradations. In the first described specimen the top of the brad 

 is ferruginous-brown ; and with respect to the two other speci- 

 mens, killed in the month of April, it is stated that " in one of 

 them the whole nape was of a fine pale reddish bay, the other 

 pale brown, inclining to bay towards the nape." 



Here then we come as near as possible to the plumage of the 

 generality of the Ringed Plovers in their adolescent state ; for in 

 every other part it exactly accords. 



AVe shall now take leave of these birds, for the present, by re- 

 marking, that we have repeatedly taken the young of the Ringed 

 Plover before it could fly, and, we believe, in all the usual inter- 

 mediate changes of plumage in every month in the year; and we 

 do assert, that in its infant state the legs and bill are not yellow, 

 though paler than they are after it has attained the power of fly- 

 ing, when they become of a dusky brown, and continue that co- 

 lour for a considerable time, changing by degrees to a yellow- 

 brown, and lastly to an orange-yellow; but this last is never 

 effected till the plumage is complete, and is always the last mark 

 of perfection. 



At this time (January) we have before us fresh specimens of 

 this species, with all the marks of adults, except that the bill and 

 leo-s do not possess the full yellow ; at the same time we have others 

 aoreeing with the Alexandrian and Kentish Plovers, but with the 

 crown of the head pale brown, some more or less tinged with ru- 

 fous ; and the white, which passes over the eye from the forehead, 

 not quite running into the ring of that colour round the neck, 



2 o 2 but 



